Browsing category: In the spotlight

New for this season, the Tummel blends loafer chic with an elegant trim for a sophisticated standout look. We have worked with the artisanal craftsmen and women at the Carlos Santos factory in Portugal to produce two very different versions of this very fine piece of footwear.

The first feels very European. I am thinking the French Riviera or the Amalfi coast. The dark brown calf weave sets them apart from your run-of-the-mill loafer, accompanied by a woven strap across the vamp featuring two metal links. Not your classic horsebit, but the trim is definitely a nod to that classic style with a modern twist.

The navy version does not feature woven calf but rather an uncomplicated, smooth finish adorned by the woven strap. Again, I can see these being worn by gentlemen that like to lunch in port-side restaurants, but they would equally hold their own at a business meeting or indeed a meal out away from the water’s edge!

What both these styles share is an element of delicacy. They are leather lined and have a leather sole, save for a rubber tip on the heel. However, our friends at Carlos Santos have managed to use the Goodyear welting process to attach the sole to the upper. This is not something you often see in this style of shoe, with other manufacturers often favouring either a cemented or Blake stitched sole.

By using a welt, which is a strip of leather that connects the upper to the sole, the Tummel becomes repairable. This means you can enjoy wearing these loafers – and shaping them to the exact proportions of your feet – but replace the soles when they start to wear out. Sustainable comfort and style in nutshell!

Before the sunshine begins to run out and we start looking ahead to autumn/winter, can I suggest a last grasp at warmer days with these super-stylish loafers? They are just that little bit special.

Let’s turn our attention to a very formal, but oh-so lovely and a bit dandy, shoe. The Gusborne is just a bit Gatsby, very much Fred Astaire and just a tad – ok, maybe a little bit more than a tad – jazz era. They are two-tone but not in your classic spectator way, as the Gusborne does not feature any brogue-style perforations. It’s more of a slick and stylish classic Oxford.

I think we need to take them in turn. First the black and white calf version with the contrasting black laces. This is your jazz-age shoe, reminiscent of the spats era when mainly men wore a felt guard around the ankle to protect their shoes and socks from inclement weather and muddy conditions. White spats were then seen at formal occasions with George V leading the way. Over the pond, Chicago gangsters were using them to express their wealth and status. Their popularity began to decline in 1920s, but the idea of a black and white shoe was still alive.

The jazz era loved its black and white shoes, often seeing them converted into tap shoes for the likes of Fred Astaire. As a style icon, you cannot go to wrong with Fred. Always dapper; always classy. 

If you want to lend some 1950s swing to your black-tie attire, then these could do the trick. No-one is asking you to tap dance, but they would not doubt you if you said you could! Hey, that’s not to say you need to restrict them to black-tie use only. If you want to resurrect the gangster look then be our guest.

The brown and white calf version is more suitable for the daytime and any occasion where you would wear a more classic spectator shoe. However, the Gusborne will stand out due to its lack of fussy detail. Made in a classic toe-cap Oxford style, it really is eye-catchingly sleek. Combined with a navy or beige suit or trousers, the Gusborne will just ooze sophistication and elegance.

The Gusborne was made exclusively for us by the clever craftsmen at the Carlos Santos factory in Portugal using the Z160 last to give it its very elegant shape with a chiselled toe box. Their hand-finishing also emphasises the toe cap and the seams, to give this shoe a wonderful three-dimensional quality that flat colours cannot equal.

Lastly, they have a Goodyear-welted leather sole, so you can repair them to ensure you can wear them for many dancing days to come. These shoes are used to being in the spotlight. They deserve their place in our In The Spotlight collection.

When spring gets going, we always start rolling out the loafers. Considered a preppy, smart-but-happy-to-be-dressed-down shoe, the loafer is a perennial favourite…but sometimes a style comes along that is just a cut above the rest.

The Rigoletto is actually a loafer AND a monk shoe. This is where the upgrade from other loafers lies. While plenty of loafers feature buckles or an equestrian-style horse-bit trim, the Rigoletto’s brass detail is set to the outer side, like a monk shoe buckle.

The monk shoe has had a renaissance in recent years, potentially due to Daniel Craig sporting them as James Bond in Skyfall. However, its origins are low show biz and can be traced back centuries ago to European monks who wanted a more practical, closed-toe shoe rather than their usual sandal. The monk shoe began to emerge in the early 20^th for fashionable gentlemen that wanted a little more flamboyance in their lives. More dapper than dandy, the monk shoe is sleek and brilliantly bold.

The Rigoletto is very much a loafer too with classic defining features, such as its low profile to expose the ankle, plus the small heel and stitched apron.  

While many loafers are Blake-stitched, by combing glue and a single row of stitching to connect the upper to the sole, these beauties are welted. The additional layer of cork makes them more comfortable but also means they are satisfyingly repairable, and you can hang onto them for many a year.

The Rigoletto is made by our incredibly talented friends at the Carlos Santos factory in Portugal where each shoe is hand-patinated, which means they are intentionally aged and coloured with a lustrous coating to give them a vintage appearance. As you can see from the photo, this does not mean they are scuffed and falling apart but have a characterful patina that is akin to an artform. 

Our website claims these are suitable for the ‘confident dandy’, but I reckon these are slightly more conservative than that. The Rigoletto is a standout blend of two shoes that have been handcrafted by some of the best shoemakers in Europe. What’s not to love?